Method and system for stopping an engine

ABSTRACT

A method and a system for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, a disconnect clutch is operated in response to an engine stop request to adjust an engine stopping position during an engine shutdown. The approach may reduce engine starting time after the engine stop.

FIELD

The present description relates to a system and methods for improvingengine stopping so as to provide improved conditions for restarting theengine. The methods may be particularly useful for engines that areselectively coupled to an electrical machine and a transmission.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

An engine of a hybrid vehicle may be repeatedly stopped and restartedduring the course of a trip to conserve fuel. Stopping the engine mayincrease vehicle fuel economy when the vehicle can be propelled by analternative power source that does not solely rely on a hydrocarbonfuel. However, engine emissions may increase when the engine isrestarted and powertrain torque may be limited until the engine reachesoperating speed. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a way toimprove engine starting so that engine emissions are reduced and so thatengine torque is available shortly after engine starting.

The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned issues and havedeveloped a method for stopping an engine, comprising: adjusting adisconnect clutch application force in response to an engine stoprequest, and further adjusting the disconnect clutch slip to stop theengine at a desired position.

By adjusting operation of a driveline disconnect clutch in response toan engine stop request, it may be possible to position the engine duringstopping so that fewer engine emissions are produced during enginestarting. Additionally, the engine may be able to reach conditions whereengine torque is available to the driveline in a shorter amount of timesince the engine was stopped. In one example, a selected cylinder of anengine is stopped at a position a predetermined interval aftertop-dead-center (TDC) compression stroke of the cylinder and before thecylinder enters an exhaust stroke. Stopping the engine at this locationallows spark and fuel to be injected to the cylinder in response to anengine start request so that combustion may be provided in the cylinderbefore engine rotation or shortly after engine rotation begins. As aresult, the engine may reach operating speed sooner and less cylindercontents may be pumped to atmosphere before being combusted.

The present description may provide several advantages. Specifically,the approach may reduce engine starting time. Additionally, the approachmay reduce engine emissions by pumping less cylinder contents toatmosphere. Further, engine starting time may be more repeatable.

The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the presentdescription will be readily apparent from the following DetailedDescription when taken alone or in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introducein simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described inthe detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essentialfeatures of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defineduniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description.Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited toimplementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any partof this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages described herein will be more fully understood by readingan example of an embodiment, referred to herein as the DetailedDescription, when taken alone or with reference to the drawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an engine;

FIG. 2 is shows an example vehicle and vehicle driveline configuration;

FIG. 3 is shows a first prophetic engine stopping sequence;

FIG. 4 is shows a second prophetic engine stopping sequence; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example method for stopping an engine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present description is related to controlling a driveline of ahybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle may include an engine and electricmachine as shown in FIGS. 1-2. The engine may be operated with orwithout a driveline integrated starter/generator (DISG) during vehicleoperation. The driveline integrated starter/generator is integrated intothe driveline on the same axis as the engine crankshaft and rotateswhenever the torque converter impeller rotates. Further, the DISG maynot be selectively engaged or disengaged with the driveline. Rather, theDISG is an integral part of the driveline. Further still, the DISG maybe operated with or without operating the engine. The mass and inertiaof the DISG remain with the driveline when the DISG is not operating toprovide or absorb torque from the driveline. The hybrid vehicle's enginemay be stopped as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 according to the method ofFIGS. 5 and 6.

Referring to FIG. 1, internal combustion engine 10, comprising aplurality of cylinders, one cylinder of which is shown in FIG. 1, iscontrolled by electronic engine controller 12. Engine 10 includescombustion chamber 30 and cylinder walls 32 with piston 36 positionedtherein and connected to crankshaft 40. Flywheel 97 and ring gear 99 arecoupled to crankshaft 40. Starter 96 includes pinion shaft 98 and piniongear 95. Pinion shaft 98 may selectively advance pinion gear 95 toengage ring gear 99. Starter 96 may be directly mounted to the front ofthe engine or the rear of the engine. In some examples, starter 96 mayselectively supply torque to crankshaft 40 via a belt or chain. In oneexample, starter 96 is in a base state when not engaged to the enginecrankshaft.

Combustion chamber 30 is shown communicating with intake manifold 44 andexhaust manifold 48 via respective intake valve 52 and exhaust valve 54.Each intake and exhaust valve may be operated by an intake cam 51 and anexhaust cam 53. The position of intake cam 51 may be determined byintake cam sensor 55. The position of exhaust cam 53 may be determinedby exhaust cam sensor 57.

Fuel injector 66 is shown positioned to inject fuel directly intocylinder 30, which is known to those skilled in the art as directinjection. Alternatively, fuel may be injected to an intake port, whichis known to those skilled in the art as port injection. Fuel injector 66delivers liquid fuel in proportion to the pulse width of signal FPW fromcontroller 12. Fuel is delivered to fuel injector 66 by a fuel system(not shown) including a fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel rail (not shown).Fuel injector 66 is supplied operating current from driver 68 whichresponds to controller 12. In addition, intake manifold 44 is showncommunicating with optional electronic throttle 62 which adjusts aposition of throttle plate 64 to control air flow from air intake 42 tointake manifold 44. In one example, a high pressure, dual stage, fuelsystem may be used to generate higher fuel pressures. In some examples,throttle 62 and throttle plate 64 may be positioned between intake valve52 and intake manifold 44 such that throttle 62 is a port throttle.

Distributorless ignition system 88 provides an ignition spark tocombustion chamber 30 via spark plug 92 in response to controller 12.Universal Exhaust Gas Oxygen (UEGO) sensor 126 is shown coupled toexhaust manifold 48 upstream of catalytic converter 70. Alternatively, atwo-state exhaust gas oxygen sensor may be substituted for UEGO sensor126.

Vehicle wheel brakes or regenerative braking via a DISG may be providedwhen brake pedal 150 is applied via foot 152. Brake pedal sensor 154supplies a signal indicative of brake pedal position to controller 12.Foot 152 is assisted by brake booster 140 applying vehicle brakes.

Converter 70 can include multiple catalyst bricks, in one example. Inanother example, multiple emission control devices, each with multiplebricks, can be used. Converter 70 can be a three-way type catalyst inone example.

Controller 12 is shown in FIG. 1 as a conventional microcomputerincluding: microprocessor unit 102, input/output ports 104, read-onlymemory 106, random access memory 108, keep alive memory 110, and aconventional data bus. Controller 12 is shown receiving various signalsfrom sensors coupled to engine 10, in addition to those signalspreviously discussed, including: engine coolant temperature (ECT) fromtemperature sensor 112 coupled to cooling sleeve 114; a position sensor134 coupled to an accelerator pedal 130 for sensing force applied byfoot 132; a measurement of engine manifold pressure (MAP) from pressuresensor 122 coupled to intake manifold 44; an engine position sensor froma Hall effect sensor 118 sensing crankshaft 40 position; a measurementof air mass entering the engine from sensor 120; and a measurement ofthrottle position from sensor 58. Barometric pressure may also be sensed(sensor not shown) for processing by controller 12. Engine positionsensor 118 produces a predetermined number of equally spaced pulsesevery revolution of the crankshaft from which engine speed (RPM) can bedetermined.

In some examples, the engine may be coupled to an electric motor/batterysystem in a hybrid vehicle as shown in FIG. 2. Further, in someexamples, other engine configurations may be employed, for example adiesel engine. During operation, each cylinder within engine 10typically undergoes a four stroke cycle: the cycle includes the intakestroke, compression stroke, expansion stroke, and exhaust stroke. Duringthe intake stroke, generally, the exhaust valve 54 closes and intakevalve 52 opens. Air is introduced into combustion chamber 30 via intakemanifold 44, and piston 36 moves to the bottom of the cylinder so as toincrease the volume within combustion chamber 30. The position at whichpiston 36 is near the bottom of the cylinder and at the end of itsstroke (e.g. when combustion chamber 30 is at its largest volume) istypically referred to by those of skill in the art as bottom dead center(BDC). During the compression stroke, intake valve 52 and exhaust valve54 are closed. Piston 36 moves toward the cylinder head so as tocompress the air within combustion chamber 30. The point at which piston36 is at the end of its stroke and closest to the cylinder head (e.g.when combustion chamber 30 is at its smallest volume) is typicallyreferred to by those of skill in the art as top dead center (TDC). In aprocess hereinafter referred to as injection, fuel is introduced intothe combustion chamber. In a process hereinafter referred to asignition, the injected fuel is ignited by known ignition means such asspark plug 92, resulting in combustion. During the expansion stroke, theexpanding gases push piston 36 back to BDC. Crankshaft 40 convertspiston movement into a rotational torque of the rotary shaft. Finally,during the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve 54 opens to release thecombusted air-fuel mixture to exhaust manifold 48 and the piston returnsto TDC. Note that the above is shown merely as an example, and thatintake and exhaust valve opening and/or closing timings may vary, suchas to provide positive or negative valve overlap, late intake valveclosing, or various other examples.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vehicle 201 and vehicle driveline 200.Driveline 200 may be powered by engine 10. Engine 10 may be started withan engine starting system shown in FIG. 1 or via DISG 240. Further,engine 10 may generate or adjust torque via torque actuator 204, such asa fuel injector, throttle, etc.

An engine output torque may be transmitted to an input side of dual massflywheel (DMF) 232. Engine speed as well as dual mass flywheel inputside position and speed may be determined via engine position sensor118. Dual mass flywheel 232 may include springs 253 and separate masses254 for dampening driveline torque disturbances. The output side of dualmass flywheel 232 is shown being mechanically coupled to the input sideof disconnect clutch 236. Disconnect clutch 236 may be electrically orhydraulically actuated. A position sensor 234 is positioned on thedisconnect clutch side of dual mass flywheel 232 to sense the outputposition and speed of the dual mass flywheel 232. The downstream side ofdisconnect clutch 236 is shown mechanically coupled to DISG input shaft237.

DISG 240 may be operated to provide torque to driveline 200 or toconvert driveline torque into electrical energy to be stored in electricenergy storage device 275. DISG 240 has a higher output torque capacitythan starter 96 shown in FIG. 1. Further, DISG 240 directly drivesdriveline 200 or is directly driven by driveline 200. There are nobelts, gears, or chains to couple DISG 240 to driveline 200. Rather,DISG 240 rotates at the same rate as driveline 200. Electrical energystorage device 275 may be a battery, capacitor, or inductor. Thedownstream side of DISG 240 is mechanically coupled to the impeller 285of torque converter 206 via shaft 241. The upstream side of the DISG 240is mechanically coupled to the disconnect clutch 236. Torque converter206 includes a turbine 286 to output torque to transmission input shaft270. Transmission input shaft 270 mechanically couples torque converter206 to automatic transmission 208. Torque converter 206 also includes atorque converter bypass lock-up clutch 212 (TCC). Torque is directlytransferred from impeller 285 to turbine 286 when TCC is locked. TCC iselectrically operated by controller 12. Alternatively, TCC may behydraulically locked. In one example, the torque converter may bereferred to as a component of the transmission. Torque converter turbinespeed and position may be determined via position sensor 239. In someexamples, 238 and/or 239 may be torque sensors or may be combinationposition and torque sensors.

When torque converter lock-up clutch 212 is fully disengaged, torqueconverter 206 transmits engine torque to automatic transmission 208 viafluid transfer between the torque converter turbine 286 and torqueconverter impeller 285, thereby enabling torque multiplication. Incontrast, when torque converter lock-up clutch 212 is fully engaged, theengine output torque is directly transferred via the torque converterclutch to an input shaft (not shown) of transmission 208. Alternatively,the torque converter lock-up clutch 212 may be partially engaged,thereby enabling the amount of torque directly relayed to thetransmission to be adjusted. The controller 12 may be configured toadjust the amount of torque transmitted by torque converter 206 byadjusting the torque converter lock-up clutch 212 in response to variousengine operating conditions, or based on a driver-based engine operationrequest.

Automatic transmission 208 includes gear clutches (e.g., gears 1-6) 211and forward clutch 210. The gear clutches 211 and the forward clutch 210may be selectively engaged to propel a vehicle. Torque output from theautomatic transmission 208 may in turn be relayed to rear wheels 216 topropel the vehicle via output shaft 260. Specifically, automatictransmission 208 may transfer an input driving torque at the input shaft270 responsive to a vehicle traveling condition before transmitting anoutput driving torque to the rear wheels 216. Torque may also bedirected to front wheels 217 via transfer case 261.

Further, a frictional force may be applied to wheels 216 by engagingwheel brakes 218. In one example, wheel brakes 218 may be engaged inresponse to the driver pressing his foot on a brake pedal (not shown).In other examples, controller 12 or a controller linked to controller 12may apply wheel brakes. In the same way, a frictional force may bereduced to wheels 216 by disengaging wheel brakes 218 in response to thedriver releasing his foot from a brake pedal. Further, vehicle brakesmay apply a frictional force to wheels 216 via controller 12 as part ofan automated engine stopping procedure.

A mechanical oil pump 214 may be in fluid communication with automatictransmission 208 to provide hydraulic pressure to engage variousclutches, such as forward clutch 210, gear clutches 211, and/or torqueconverter lock-up clutch 212. Mechanical oil pump 214 may be operated inaccordance with torque converter 206, and may be driven by the rotationof the engine or DISG via input shaft 241, for example. Thus, thehydraulic pressure generated in mechanical oil pump 214 may increase asan engine speed and/or DISG speed increases, and may decrease as anengine speed and/or DISG speed decreases.

Controller 12 may be configured to receive inputs from engine 10, asshown in more detail in FIG. 1, and accordingly control a torque outputof the engine and/or operation of the torque converter, transmission,DISG, clutches, and/or brakes. As one example, an engine torque outputmay be controlled by adjusting a combination of spark timing, fuel pulsewidth, fuel pulse timing, and/or air charge, by controlling throttleopening and/or valve timing, valve lift and boost for turbo- orsuper-charged engines. In the case of a diesel engine, controller 12 maycontrol the engine torque output by controlling a combination of fuelpulse width, fuel pulse timing, and air charge. In all cases, enginecontrol may be performed on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis to control theengine torque output. Controller 12 may also control torque output andelectrical energy production from DISG by adjusting current flowing toand from field and/or armature windings of DISG as is known in the art.Controller 12 also receives driving surface grade input information frominclinometer 281.

When idle-stop conditions are satisfied, controller 12 may initiateengine shutdown by shutting off fuel and spark to the engine. However,the engine may continue to rotate in some examples. Further, to maintainan amount of torsion in the transmission, the controller 12 may groundrotating elements of transmission 208 to a case 259 of the transmissionand thereby to the frame of the vehicle.

A wheel brake pressure may also be adjusted during the engine shutdown,based on the transmission clutch pressure, to assist in tying up thetransmission while reducing a torque transferred through the wheels.Specifically, by applying the wheel brakes 218 while locking one or moreengaged transmission clutches, opposing forces may be applied ontransmission, and consequently on the driveline, thereby maintaining thetransmission gears in active engagement, and torsional potential energyin the transmission gear-train, without moving the wheels. In oneexample, the wheel brake pressure may be adjusted to coordinate theapplication of the wheel brakes with the locking of the engagedtransmission clutch during the engine shutdown. As such, by adjustingthe wheel brake pressure and the clutch pressure, the amount of torsionretained in the transmission when the engine is shutdown may beadjusted. When restart conditions are satisfied, and/or a vehicleoperator wants to launch the vehicle, controller 12 may reactivate theengine by resuming cylinder combustion.

Thus, the system of FIGS. 1 and 2 provides for a system for stopping anengine, comprising: an engine; a DISG: a disconnect clutch positioned ina driveline between the engine and the DISG; a dual mass flywheelpositioned in the driveline between the engine and the disconnectclutch; and a controller, the controller including non-transitoryexecutable instructions for adjusting an engine stopping position viaadjusting a disconnect clutch application force. The system includeswhere the non-transitory executable instructions for adjusting thedisconnect clutch application force include slipping the disconnectclutch after at least one of spark and fuel flow to the engine cease.

In some examples, the system includes where the non-transitoryexecutable instructions for adjusting the disconnect clutch applicationforce include closing the disconnect clutch before at least one of sparkand fuel flow to the engine cease. The system further comprisesadditional non-transitory executable instructions for cancellingdriveline torque disturbances of the dual mass flywheel. The systemfurther comprises additional non-transitory executable instructions forreversing a direction of the engine after an engine stop and before anengine start.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an example engine stopping sequence is shown.The example sequence may be performed by the system of FIGS. 1 and 2according to the method of FIGS. 5 and 6. In this example, a disconnectclutch is opened during an engine stop sequence.

The first plot from the top of the figure shows an engine start/runrequest signal versus time. The Y axis represents the engine start/runstate. A high level indicates that the engine is to be started; however,if the engine is started, the engine is to remain running while theengine start/run request signal is at a higher level. The engine is tobe stopped when the engine start/run request signal is at a lower level.The X axis represents time and time increases from the left to the rightside of the plot.

The second plot from the top of the figure shows DISG speed versus time.The Y axis represents DISG speed and DISG speed increases in thedirection of the Y axis arrow. The X axis represents time and timeincreases from the left to the right side of the plot.

The third plot from the top of the figure shows DISG torque versus time.The Y axis represents DISG torque and DISG torque increases in thedirection of the Y axis arrow. The X axis represents time and timeincreases from the left to the right side of the plot.

The fourth plot from the top of the figure shows disconnect clutchapplication force versus time. The Y axis represents disconnect clutchapplication force and disconnect clutch application force increases inthe direction of the Y axis arrow. The disconnect clutch applicationforce is an amount of force applied to close or open the disconnectclutch. A higher disconnect clutch application force reduces slipbetween clutch plates and allows disconnect clutch input and outputshafts or flanges to rotate together. The X axis represents time andtime increases from the left to the right side of the plot.

The fifth plot from the top of the figure shows engine speed versustime. The Y axis represents engine speed and engine speed increases inthe direction of the Y axis arrow. The X axis represents time and timeincreases from the left to the right side of the plot.

The sixth plot from the top of the figure shows engine torque versustime. The Y axis represents engine torque and engine torque increases inthe direction of the Y axis arrow. The X axis represents time and timeincreases from the left to the right side of the plot.

The seventh plot from the top of the figure shows DMF torque versustime. The Y axis represents DMF torque and DMF torque increases in thedirection of the Y axis arrow. The DMF torque is an amount of torquetransmitted through the DMF. The X axis represents time and timeincreases from the left to the right side of the plot.

At time T₀, the engine is running as indicated by the engine start/runrequest being at a higher state. The engine and DISG are operating atthe same speed and the disconnect clutch is closed so as to mechanicallycouple the engine and the DISG. A relatively high force is applied tothe disconnect clutch to keep the DISG coupled to the engine. The DISGand engine are both outputting a medium level of torque to the vehicledriveline. The DMF is transferring the engine torque to the driveline.

At time T₁, the engine start/run request transitions to a lower state inresponse to a request to stop the engine. The engine start/run requestmay transition to a lower state in response to a request by a vehicledriver or a controller. Spark and/or fuel flow to the engine is stoppedin response to the engine start/run request transitioning to a lowerstate. As a result, the engine torque output is quickly reduced.

Between time T₁ and time T₂, force applied to the disconnect clutch isreduced so that the engine may decelerate to stop while the DISG remainsrotating. The DISG is shown at a constant level, but DISG speed andtorque output may change in response to a change in an amount of torquerequested by a driver via the accelerator pedal. As engine speed isreduced, engine speed and engine position are monitored by controller12.

In one example, the actual engine speed and/or position may be comparedto a desired engine speed and/or engine position after the enginestart/run request transitions to a lower level indicating a request tostop the engine. If the actual engine speed is lower than desired duringengine stopping, the engine speed may be increased via increasing thedisconnect clutch application force and increasing the DISG outputtorque. On the other hand, if the actual engine position is greater thana desired engine position during engine stopping (e.g., actual engineposition is ahead of desired engine position), the engine speed may bedecreased to adjust actual engine position to the desire engine positionvia decreasing the disconnect clutch application force. Further, theDISG torque may be estimated or monitored so that oscillations in DISGtorque may be compensated via adjusting disconnect clutch slip and/orDISG output torque.

Returning now to FIG. 3, engine speed is shown decelerating in responseto a lack of fuel and spark delivery to the engine. At a time a littleafter half way between time T₁ and time T₂, the application forceapplied to the disconnect clutch is shown increasing and decreasing inresponse to engine speed, engine position, and DMF torque. Increasingthe disconnect clutch force increases the engine speed since the DISG isrotating at a higher speed than the engine. In other words, additionaltorque is transferred from the DISG to the engine via closing thedisconnect clutch so that the engine stops later in time at a desiredengine position. At nearly the same time, the DISG torque is increasedto maintain the DISG speed and to accelerate the engine. The DISG torqueand disconnect clutch application force are also adjusted to reducedriveline oscillations that may result for increasing and/or decreasingdisconnect clutch application force. The DMF may oscillate when torqueis stored or released from springs and masses in the DMF. In oneexample, when compressed DMF springs release torque to the driveline,the DISG torque is reduced and the disconnect clutch applicationpressure is decreased so as to increase disconnect clutch slippage. Inthis way, driveline oscillations may be reduced. Further, if the DMFsprings/mass are compressing and storing torque, the DISG torque may beincreased to maintain engine speed on a desired trajectory. In thisexample, the DISG torque and disconnect clutch application force areshown increasing and decreasing in response to engine speed, engineposition, and DISG torque.

At time T₂, the engine is stopped. The DISG continues to rotate at aconstant speed and the disconnect clutch is in an open state as a resultof a low disconnect clutch application force. The engine start/runrequest remains low indicating that the engine is to remain in a stoppedstate. The DISG torque is shown at a constant value, but as previouslymentioned, DISG speed and torque may be adjusted to meet driver demandtorque when the engine is stopped and when the disconnect clutch isopen. Further, the engine torque and DMF torque are zero. In this way, adisconnect clutch may be used in conjunction with a DISG to control astopping position of an engine.

Referring now to FIG. 4, another example engine stopping sequence isshown. The example sequence may be performed by the system of FIGS. 1and 2 according to the method of FIGS. 5 and 6. In this example, adisconnect clutch is closed when the engine is stopped. The plots inFIG. 4 show the same variable as the plots in FIG. 3, excepting thefourth plot from the top of FIG. 4 which is described below. Therefore,for the sake of brevity the description of plots having the same labelsis omitted.

The fourth plot from the top of FIG. 4 is a plot that represents adisconnect clutch state versus time. The Y axis represents disconnectclutch state. The disconnect clutch state is closed when the disconnectclutch state trace is at a higher level. The disconnect clutch state isopen when the disconnect clutch state trace is at a lower level. Trace402 represents disconnect clutch state for a first strategy. Trace 404represents disconnect clutch state for a second strategy. Trace 404follows trace 402 when trace 404 is not visible.

At time T₅, the engine is running as indicated by the engine start/runrequest being at a higher state. The engine and DISG are operating atdifferent speeds and the disconnect clutch is open so as to mechanicallydecouple the engine and the DISG. The engine may be at an idle speed forexample while the DISG speed is higher than the engine idle speed. Thedriveline may operate in this state to reduce engine fuel consumptionwhile providing a short response time for large engine torque changes.The DISG is providing a middle level of torque to the vehicle drivelineand the engine is providing a low level of torque to rotate the engineat idle speed. The DMF is not transferring torque since the disconnectclutch is in an open state.

At time T₆, the engine start/run request transitions to a low state inresponse to a request to stop the engine. The engine may be stoppedautomatically without input by a driver to a device that has a solefunction of starting/stopping an engine (e.g., an ignition switch).Alternatively, the engine stop request or a change in state of theengine start/run request may be made via a driver input. The DISG speedis reduced to the speed of the engine in response to the change in stateof the engine start/run request. The DISG torque is also reduced inresponse to the change of state in the engine start/run request. Enginespeed and torque continue at their respective values.

Between time T₆ and time T₇, the DISG speed and the engine speed aresubstantially equal (e.g., ±50 RPM). The disconnect clutch is closed inresponse to DISG and engine speed being substantially equal. The torquetransferred across the DMF increases a small amount as the disconnectclutch is closed.

At time T₇, at least one of spark and fuel flow to the engine arestopped in response to the disconnect clutch closing. The DISG outputtorque is also decreased in response to the disconnect clutch closing.Consequently, the engine torque begins to decrease and the engine speedand DISG speed begin to decrease. The engine start/run request remainsin a low state.

Between time T₇ and time T₈, the DISG speed and torque are adjusted sothat engine speed follows a desired predetermined profile. DISG speedand torque are also adjusted in response to engine position as theengine and DISG decelerate to a stop. Adjusting DISG torque duringengine stopping may cause torque oscillations across the DMF as shown.Therefore, the DISG torque is adjusted to cancel out the DMFoscillations. For example, if the springs in the DMF release energy tothe driveline, the DISG applies a torque equal and opposite to thetorque that the DMF applies to the driveline. In this way, drivelineoscillations during engine stopping may be reduced. The disconnectclutch remains engaged as the engine and DISG decelerate.

At time T₈, the engine stops. In this example, a small adjustment ismade to engine position by rotating the DISG in a reverse direction fromthe direction the engine turns while running The reverse direction isindicated by the DISG and engine speeds falling below their respective Xaxis. If the engine stops in the exact desired position, reverse enginerotation may not be performed. The disconnect clutch may remain engagedduring the engine stop, or alternatively, the disconnect clutch may beopened after engine stop as indicated by trace 404 transitioning to alower level.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, an example method for stopping an engineis shown. The method of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be stored as executableinstructions in non-transitory memory in the system of FIGS. 1 and 2.Further, the method of FIGS. 5 and 6 may provide the sequences shown inFIGS. 3 and 4.

At 502, method 500 judges whether or not an engine stop request ispresent. An engine stop request may be provided via a controller or adriver. If method 500 judges that an engine stop request is present,method 500 proceeds to 504. Otherwise, method 500 proceeds to exit.

At 504, method 500 judges whether or not the engine is to be stoppedwith the disconnect clutch in a closed state. In one example, the enginemay be stopped with the disconnect clutch in a closed state when adriver initiates an engine stop. The engine may be stopped with an opendisconnect clutch when a controller automatically requests an enginestop without a driver's direct input to a dedicated input that has asole purpose of starting/stopping the engine. If method 500 judges tostop the engine with the disconnect clutch in a closed state, method 500proceeds to 506 in FIG. 6. Otherwise, method 500 stops the engine withthe disconnect clutch in an open state and proceeds to 540.

At 506, method adjusts the DISG speed and the engine speed to a samespeed in response to the engine stop request. In some examples, the DISGspeed may be adjusted to the present engine speed. In other examples,the engine may be adjusted to the DISG speed. In still other examples,the DISG and engine may be adjusted to a predetermined speed. If thedisconnect clutch is closed at the time of the engine stop request, noinitial adjustment in engine or DISG speed may be made. Method 500proceeds to 508 after engine and/or DISG speed may be adjusted.

At 508, method 500 closes the disconnect clutch in response to theengine stop request. The disconnect clutch may be electrically orhydraulically closed. Method 500 proceeds to 510 after the disconnectclutch is closed.

At 510, method 500 selects a desired engine stopping position and adesired engine speed deceleration profile or schedule for enginestopping. The desired engine stopping position and desired engine speeddeceleration profile may be empirically determined and stored infunctions or tables in controller memory. In one example, the desiredengine stopping position is a crankshaft position where a selectedcylinder is in a compression stroke or an expansion stroke. Method 500proceeds to 512 after the desired engine stopping position anddeceleration schedule are selected.

At 512, method 500 ceases at least one of spark and fuel flow to theengine. Stopping fuel and/or spark delivery to the engine causescombustion to cease and the engine begins to decelerate. Method 500proceeds to 514 after spark and/or fuel flow to the engine cease.

At 514, method 500 adjusts DISG torque to slow the engine according tothe engine speed schedule from 512. DISG torque may be adjustedaccording to a predetermined schedule stored in controller memory aswell as from engine speed and position feedback. Additionally, the DISGtorque is adjusted to cancel DMF torque oscillations that may be causedby springs and masses in the DMF. For example, if DMF releases torque tothe driveline, DISG negative torque is increased. If the DMF absorbstorque from the driveline, DISG positive torque is increased. In thisway, the DMF torque oscillations may be cancelled. Method 500 proceedsto 516 after the DISG torque is adjusted.

At 516, method 500 judges whether the present engine position and/orspeed are lagging behind a desired engine speed and/or positionschedule. Method 500 may determine that engine speed is lagging behind adesired engine speed schedule when actual engine speed is greater thanthe desired engine speed schedule. If method 500 judges that presentengine speed is lagging behind the desired engine speed schedule, method500 proceeds to 518. Otherwise, method 500 proceeds to 520.

At 518, method 500 increases a negative torque of the DISG to increasethe rate that the engine is slowed to stop. In one example, the DISGnegative torque is increased in response to a difference between thedesired engine speed and the actual engine speed. Method 500 returns to516 after DISG torque is adjusted.

At 520, method 500 judges whether the present engine position and/orspeed are leading a desired engine speed and/or position schedule.Method 500 may determine that engine speed is leading a desired enginespeed schedule when actual engine speed is less than the desired enginespeed schedule. If method 500 judges that present engine speed leads thedesired engine speed schedule, method 500 proceeds to 522. Otherwise,method 500 proceeds to 524.

At 522, method 500 increases a positive torque of the DISG to decreasethe rate that the engine is slowed to stop. In one example, the DISGpositive torque is increased in response to a difference between thedesired engine speed and the actual engine speed. Method 500 returns to516 after DISG torque is adjusted.

At 524, method 500 judges whether or not the engine is stopped. If theengine is stopped, method 500 proceeds to 526. Otherwise, method 500returns to 514. In this way, engine speed during engine stopping isadjusted to follow a desired engine speed and/or position schedule.

At 526, method 500 judges whether the engine stop position is behind(e.g., 10 crankshaft degrees before the desired engine stop position)desired engine stop position. If the engine stop position is behind thedesired engine stop position, method 400 proceeds to 528. Otherwise,method 500 proceeds to 530.

At 528, method 500 rotates the engine forward to the desired position.The engine is rotated via the DISG. Method 500 proceeds to exit via pathB as indicated at FIG. 5. However, in some examples, the disconnectclutch may be adjusted to an open state after engine position is at thedesired engine position.

At 530, method 500 judges whether the engine stop position is ahead(e.g., 10 crankshaft degrees after the desired engine stop position)desired engine stop position. If the engine stop position is ahead ofthe desired engine stop position, method 400 proceeds to 532. Otherwise,method 500 proceeds to exit via path B as indicated at FIG. 5. Thedisconnect clutch may remain closed or may be adjusted to an open stateupon exit.

At 532, method 500 rotates the engine in a reverse direction as comparedto when the engine was running to the desired position. The engine isrotated via the DISG. Method 500 proceeds to exit via path B asindicated at FIG. 5. The disconnect clutch may remain closed or may beadjusted to an open state upon exit.

At 540, method 500 selects a desired engine stopping position and adesired engine speed deceleration profile or schedule for enginestopping. The desired engine stopping position and desired engine speeddeceleration profile may be empirically determined and stored infunctions or tables in controller memory. In one example, the desiredengine stopping position is a crankshaft position where a selectedcylinder is in a compression stroke or an expansion stroke. Method 500proceeds to 542 after the desired engine stopping position anddeceleration schedule are selected.

At 542, method 500 ceases at least one of spark and fuel flow to theengine. Stopping fuel and/or spark delivery to the engine causescombustion to cease and the engine begins to decelerate. Method 500proceeds to 544 after spark and/or fuel flow to the engine cease.

At 544, method 500 reduces the disconnect clutch application forceaccording to a predetermined schedule. The predetermined schedule may beempirically determined and stored in functions and/or table incontroller memory. Method 500 proceeds to 546 after the disconnectclutch pressure is reduced.

At 546, method 500 adjusts DISG torque to provide a desired driverdemand torque. The DISG torque is adjusted to provide the desired driverdemand torque without assistance from engine torque since the disconnectclutch is being opened. Further, the DISG torque is adjusted to canceltorque oscillations from the DMF that may enter the driveline via theslipping disconnect clutch. The DISG torque cancels the DMF torque aspreviously described. Method 500 proceeds to 548 after the DISG torqueis adjusted.

At 548, method 500 judges whether the present engine position and/orspeed are lagging behind a desired engine speed and/or positionschedule. Method 500 may determine that engine speed is lagging behind adesired engine speed schedule when actual engine speed is greater thanthe desired engine speed schedule. If method 500 judges that presentengine speed is lagging behind the desired engine speed schedule, method500 proceeds to 550. Otherwise, method 500 proceeds to 552.

At 550, method 500 maintains the DISG torque and decreases thedisconnect clutch application force so that less torque may betransferred from the DISG to the engine. In one example, the disconnectclutch force is decreased in response to a difference between thedesired engine speed and the actual engine speed. Method 500 returns to546 after disconnect clutch application force is adjusted.

At 552, method 500 judges whether the present engine position and/orspeed are leading a desired engine speed and/or position schedule.Method 500 may determine that engine speed is leading a desired enginespeed schedule when actual engine speed is less than the desired enginespeed schedule. If method 500 judges that present engine speed leads thedesired engine speed schedule, method 500 proceeds to 556. Otherwise,method 500 proceeds to 550.

At 556, method 500 increases a positive torque of the DISG to decreasethe rate that the engine is slowed to stop. Further, the disconnectclutch application force is increase. Consequently, torque istransferred from the DISG to accelerate the engine. Increasing the DISGtorque allows the DISG to remain at its present desired speed whentorque supplied by the DISG to the engine is increased. Method 500returns to 546 after DISG torque is adjusted.

At 554, method 500 judges whether or not the engine is stopped. If theengine is stopped, method 500 proceeds to exit. Otherwise, method 500returns to 544. The disconnect clutch is adjusted to an open state bythe time method 500 exits. In this way, engine speed during enginestopping is adjusted to follow a desired engine speed and/or positionschedule while the disconnect clutch is being opened. Thus, the methodof FIGS. 5 and 6 provides for stopping an engine, comprising:

adjusting a disconnect clutch application force in response to an enginestop request, and further adjusting the disconnect clutch slip to stopthe engine at a desired position. The method further comprisessubstantially maintaining speed (e.g., ±150 RPM) of a drivelineintegrated starter/generator while adjusting the disconnect clutchapplication force. In some examples, the method further comprisesadjusting a driveline integrated starter/generator torque output inresponse to an amount of torque transferred across a dual mass flywheel.

In one example, the method includes where adjusting the drivelineintegrated starter/generator torque output includes decreasingintegrated starter/generator torque output when a driveline integratedstarter/generator spring decompresses. The method includes whereadjusting the driveline integrated starter/generator torque outputincludes increasing integrated starter/generator torque output when adriveline integrated starter/generator spring compresses. The methodalso includes where adjusting the driveline integrated starter/generatortorque output includes cancelling torque disturbances from the dual massflywheel. The method further comprises ceasing spark and fuel deliveryto the engine in response to the engine stop request. The methodincludes where the disconnect clutch slip is adjusted according to apredetermined schedule.

In another example, the method of FIGS. 5 and 6 provides for stopping anengine, comprising: operating a DISG at a first speed; operating anengine at a second speed different than the first speed; adjusting theDISG and engine to a same speed in response to an engine stop request;and adjusting a disconnect clutch application force in response to theengine stop request. The method includes where the disconnect clutchapplication force is increased to close a disconnect clutch from an openposition. The method further comprises stopping the engine and the DISGwhile the disconnect clutch is closed.

In another example, the method further comprises ceasing spark and fuelflow to the engine and adjusting DISG torque to stop the engine at adesired position. The method further comprises opening the disconnectclutch after engine stop. The method includes where adjusting DISGtorque to stop the engine includes rotating the engine in a reversedirection. The method also further comprises adjusting DISG torque tocancel driveline torque oscillations from a dual mass flywheel.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, methodsdescribed in FIGS. 5-6 may represent one or more of any number ofprocessing strategies such as event-driven, interrupt-driven,multi-tasking, multi-threading, and the like. As such, various steps orfunctions illustrated may be performed in the sequence illustrated, inparallel, or in some cases omitted. Likewise, the order of processing isnot necessarily required to achieve the objects, features, andadvantages described herein, but is provided for ease of illustrationand description. Although not explicitly illustrated, one of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that one or more of the illustratedsteps or functions may be repeatedly performed depending on theparticular strategy being used.

This concludes the description. The reading of it by those skilled inthe art would bring to mind many alterations and modifications withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the description. For example,I3, I4, I5, V6, V8, V10, and V12 engines operating in natural gas,gasoline, diesel, or alternative fuel configurations could use thepresent description to advantage.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A system for stopping an engine, comprising: anengine; a DISG; a disconnect clutch positioned in a driveline betweenthe engine and the DISG; a dual mass flywheel positioned in thedriveline between the engine and the disconnect clutch; and acontroller, the controller including non-transitory executableinstructions for adjusting an engine stopping position via adjusting adisconnect clutch application force.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherethe non-transitory executable instructions for adjusting the disconnectclutch application force include slipping the disconnect clutch after atleast one of spark and fuel flow to the engine cease.
 18. The system ofclaim 16, where the non-transitory executable instructions for adjustingthe disconnect clutch application force include closing the disconnectclutch before at least one of spark and fuel flow to the engine cease.19. The system of claim 16, further comprising additional non-transitoryexecutable instructions for cancelling driveline torque disturbances ofthe dual mass flywheel.
 20. The system of claim 16, further comprisingadditional non-transitory executable instructions for reversing adirection of the engine after an engine stop and before an engine start.